Angry protests outside court as rape accused arrive

Angry protests across the Capital spilled over to the Saket Court complex where gang-rape accused Ram Singh, Pawan and Vinay were produced on Sunday Several protesters gathered outside the court even before the accused reached there.

Demanding swift action, protesters advocated death penalty for those involved.

A protester holding a placard reading “Hang the rapists” said she reached there after receiving information that the accused were expected around 2 p.m. The three men were brought around 3.30 p.m.

Angry protesters shouted slogans against the Delhi Police, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi. This led to a minor ruckus and the traffic on the road next to gate no. 3 of the court was affected after protesters blocked it. As a precautionary measure, policemen on security duty refused to allow anyone to enter from the gate. Those coming to the court were asked to use other entry points instead.

Realising that some protesters might have entered the premises and could assault the accused while they were on their way to the court room, security inside the court was beefed up. Even during the hearing, most present inside the courtroom, barring the media and a few others, were asked to leave.

Over the next couple of hours, the number of protesters outside the court reduced. Only a few were left when the hearing got over. The police, however, had called for more personnel to prevent the situation from going out of control.